From: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V2011 #243 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk Unsubscribe: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe Website: http://jmdl.com JMDL Digest Monday, August 22 2011 Volume 2011 : Number 243 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Glen Hansard at Joni's Jazz [Paul Castle ] Videos & Reviews of Joni's Jazz at Hollywood Bowl [est86mlm@ameritech.net] Re: Two Grey Rooms [Bob Muller ] Re: Glen Hansard at Joni's Jazz [Anita ] Re: Glen Hansard at Joni's Jazz [Catherine McKay ] =?UTF-8?Q?New_Library_item:_Live_Jazz:_Joni=E2=80=99s_Jazz_with _Herbie_?= =?UTF-8?Q?Hancock_and_an_All-Star_Ensemble_at_the_Hollywood_Bowl?= [] New Library item: Interview: Amanda Ghost [TheStaff@JoniMitchell.com] Re: Glen Hansard at Joni's Jazz [Paul Castle ] Re: No regrets, coyotes [Anita ] Yore Photographs [William Waddell ] Ooops [William Waddell ] Dave B's Joni's Jazz report [Dave Blackburn ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2011 12:24:03 +0100 From: Paul Castle Subject: Glen Hansard at Joni's Jazz Just found these - Coyote - http://youtu.be/8bQrtL7ABv4 The Boho Dance - http://youtu.be/Zt1t28TKUVQ Shadows & Light - http://youtu.be/O_jKC6rnKxk The guy's a diamond!! Really hope someone recorded these off the desk. best to all PaulC ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2011 07:13:17 -0600 From: est86mlm@ameritech.net Subject: Videos & Reviews of Joni's Jazz at Hollywood Bowl Thanks to everyone that posted their reviews of Joni's Jazz I enjoyed reading them! Casey's story was quite amazing! Found a few videos of Joni's Jazz on YouTube! Coyote - Glen Hansard (7:42 minutes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bQrtL7ABv4 Shadows and Light - Glen Hansard (5:35 minutes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_jKC6rnKxk&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL The Boho Dance - Glen Hansard (4:48 minutes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt1t28TKUVQ&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL Blue Motel Room - Cassandra Wilson (5:01 minutes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pcoJHo7guU Laura *************FREEBIES********************************' Moisturizer Sample for US & Canada. Doesn't Joni use this with her Olay??! http://www.lavania.net/freesample Quest Bars. Click at the bottom of their page where it says FREE Sample, then scroll down to where it says Get my 2 FREE Bars, then repeat on the next 2 pages until you get the form to fill out. How did I hear about this you'll be asked. "A Friend" is a good answer. You need only answer the questions that say REQUIRED. (open to US) http://www.questproteinbar.com/freesample1 $100 iTunes Gift Card. You may enter 10 times throughout the sweepstakes. Ends 9/7/11 (open to US) http://www.bravotv.com/summer-by-bravo/season-2/sweeps ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2011 05:28:42 -0700 (PDT) From: Bob Muller Subject: Re: Two Grey Rooms And in case I didn't mention it, Chaka did 2GR at the Bowl, which seemed odd as Herbie had said that they would be covering the period from 1974-79. One of her better numbers I thought. Bob NP: Joni, "Hana" From: Mark To: Jamie Zubairi ; ava rosenblum Cc: joni@smoe.org Sent: Saturday, August 20, 2011 12:00 PM Subject: Re: Two Grey Rooms In case anyone else (like me until I just watched it a few minutes ago) has never seen the video for Two Grey Rooms, here is a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjDi_plwi5A&feature=related Thanks to Suze Cameron. Mark in Seattle - -----Original Message----- From: Jamie Zubairi Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2011 11:28 PM To: ava rosenblum Cc: joni@smoe.org Subject: Re: Two Grey Rooms Just to note on the video compilation which has Two Grey Rooms within it, Joni says she came across this story "about a fella, someone from Fassbender's scene" whereas Wikipedia (which often gets things wrong) claims it's Fassbender himself. I can't imagine if Fassbender were gay that he'd hole himself up out of the public eye just to watch someone walk past twice a day. I love the story though, and the song. And the opening chord sequence. Jamie Zubairi Sent from my iPhone On 18 Aug 2011, at 04:38, ava rosenblum wrote: > i was listening to Two Grey Rooms tonight on NRH. The lyrics are so > intriguing that I looked online to see of there is a story behind > them. What a fascinating portrait created by JM. Thought some of you > who didn't know this would be similarly intrigued. > > >> >> >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Grey_Rooms ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2011 14:14:57 +0100 From: Anita Subject: Re: Glen Hansard at Joni's Jazz It is a bit odd because I have no sound.They are posted by Tuigim and everything else has sound bar the Joni Jazz stuff. Anita x Sent from my iPod On 21 Aug 2011, at 12:24, Paul Castle wrote: > Just found these - > > Coyote - http://youtu.be/8bQrtL7ABv4 > > The Boho Dance - http://youtu.be/Zt1t28TKUVQ > > Shadows & Light - http://youtu.be/O_jKC6rnKxk > > The guy's a diamond!! Really hope someone recorded > these off the desk. > > best to all > PaulC ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2011 06:18:35 -0700 (PDT) From: Catherine McKay Subject: Re: Glen Hansard at Joni's Jazz I hope so too, Paul. I keep checking Dimeadozen to see if this shows up there. Glen Hansard is absolutely brilliant. Never heard of him until the film "Once" came out, but fell in love with him then. Still in love with him! >________________________________ >From: Paul Castle >To: joni@smoe.org >Sent: Sunday, August 21, 2011 7:24:03 AM >Subject: Glen Hansard at Joni's Jazz > >Just found these - > >Coyote - http://youtu.be/8bQrtL7ABv4 > >The Boho Dance - http://youtu.be/Zt1t28TKUVQ > >Shadows & Light - http://youtu.be/O_jKC6rnKxk > >The guy's a diamond!! Really hope someone recorded >these off the desk. > >best to all >PaulC ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2011 07:26:18 -0600 (MDT) From: TheStaff@JoniMitchell.com Subject: =?UTF-8?Q?New_Library_item:_Live_Jazz:_Joni=E2=80=99s_Jazz_with _Herbie_?= =?UTF-8?Q?Hancock_and_an_All-Star_Ensemble_at_the_Hollywood_Bowl?= Title: Live Jazz: Jonibs Jazz with Herbie Hancock and an All-Star Ensemble at the Hollywood Bowl Publication: The International Review of Music (biRoMb) Date: 2011.8.18 http://jonimitchell.com/library/view.cfm?id=2408 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2011 08:31:04 -0600 (MDT) From: TheStaff@JoniMitchell.com Subject: New Library item: Interview: Amanda Ghost Title: Interview: Amanda Ghost Publication: PRS for Music Date: 2007.04.0 http://jonimitchell.com/library/view.cfm?id=2409 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2011 17:35:47 +0100 From: Paul Castle Subject: Re: Glen Hansard at Joni's Jazz Catherine wrote: > Glen Hansard is absolutely brilliant. Never heard of him until the film > "Once" came out, but fell in love with him then. Still in love with him! Having also seen The Swell Season live, I share your love, Catherine. Sometime ago I heard a great RTE Radio podcast interview with Glen talking about how he came to make 'Once', how his headmaster had helped him become a busker at 15, meeting Dylan on Grafton Street in Dublin and being invited over to open for him in London the next day, being "completely freaked out" by Van Morrison at his birthday party when he asked Van to play 'Hungry For Your Love' - and Bono's role in their Grammy Award for 'Once'. http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podshows/6581406 [click on the headphones icon/link and listen to the stream on the page or download the mp3 file] A charming man living a charmed life! best to all PaulC NP Van Morrison's 'Hungry For Your Love' by Glen Hansard http://blip.fm/~16zl62 _________________________________________________ > From: Paul Castle > To: joni@smoe.org > Sent: Sunday, August 21, 2011 7:24:03 AM > Subject: Glen Hansard at Joni's Jazz > > Just found these - > > Coyote - http://youtu.be/8bQrtL7ABv4 > > The Boho Dance - http://youtu.be/Zt1t28TKUVQ > > Shadows & Light - http://youtu.be/O_jKC6rnKxk > > The guy's a diamond!! Really hope someone recorded > these off the desk. > > best to all > PaulC ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2011 20:45:55 +0100 From: Anita Subject: Re: No regrets, coyotes I managed at last to hear glen's take on Coyote and found it fascinating to hear a man sing this song with such passion.Could it become a gay anthem? Anita x Sent from my iPod ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2011 21:03:55 +0000 From: William Waddell Subject: Yore Photographs Going through some pix of yore coz I ain't got any new ones=2C and I'm some= what bored of a Sunday evening. Like to share them with you. Kinda the on= es that never made the grade as it were. Still=2C I enjoy making the image= s.Rome to Canary Wharf to Wisley RHS to Malaga to Rye and Winchester et env= irons to City of London to Stonehenge to other places.Maybe get some new ph= otography this coming week as I'm off to a JoniFest at Holycombe=2C south w= est England. Wx = [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type image/jpeg] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2011 23:00:26 +0000 From: William Waddell Subject: Ooops Sorry, didn't mean to send the email 'Yore Photographs' to the JMDL. Dunno how that happened, apologies.WtSx ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2011 22:57:01 -0700 From: Dave Blackburn Subject: Dave B's Joni's Jazz report Jonis Jazz/JoniFest L.A - Dave Bs report Heres my little report on the Jonis Jazz concert at the Hollywood Bowl 8/17/11 that turned into a four day long JoniFest to beat the band, whatever that old expression infers. JMDL peeps from all over the US, plus Lieve from London who stayed with us for three nights to visit and get the jet lag out of the way, and Chinaman Bob taking a hiatus from Beijing, flew or drove to town for several days of wondrous music and cameraderie (a French word meaning everyone brings cameras and takes pictures of each other!) The centerpiece, of course, was the Jonis Jazz concert at the Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday night but the informal jams and hangs were no less fun or memorable. I guess there are about 30-35 of us altogether; many old time listers and friends from Fests past are here, and I am amazed at what strong bonds the common love of music, and one artist in particular, plus the easy connectivity of cyberspace, has allowed to happen. Although for me some of the festers identities were previously only JMDL handles with perhaps a Facebook profile pic to go on, it always feels like youve known each other for years when you actually meet. This time around Robin and I got to meet for the first time Patti Parlette, Phyllis Ward, Roch Doran, Jim Traweek, Les Irvin, Laura Stanley, Coyote Rick (and Brad), Jimmy Stewarts Ed, Julius and Gail, Sherelle Smith, Jack Merkel and Richard Flynns wife Rebecca... charming one and all. Others were veterans of Idyllwild fest, Kate Bennett and Jeff, Pearl and Steve Weisberg, Kay Ashley, Sue Tierney, Michael Paz, Lesli Watts and Pete Hillman, Kakki, Jimmy Stewart, Steve and Michelle Dulson, Craig and Laura Jenkins, Jody Johnson, Ashara, Lindsay Moon and Lieve Reckers. Richard Flynn we had met when he was in San Diego a year or so back. Day 1 The Far Bar Day one was arrival day for most, so we showed up at different times by different means. But, thanks to Michael Paz and his professional connections, we were mostly all staying at the Kyoto Grand in downtown L.A for an extremely bro rate of $80 per day with free internet. This made it easy to rendezvous in the Japanese themed lobby, or to gather in the Japanese garden on the third level to play some guitar. Kakki, who is a native Los Angelean, found a neat venue for our first nights gathering in Little Tokyo, called the Far Bar. The owner was happy to turn the whole indoor area over to our group and there was no charge for this, which in LA is remarkable in itself. I brought a small PA system up from San Diego and set up sound for a night of music which went till past 1am. We got to hear Kay Ashley, playing originals, and Joni songs of course, Sue Tierney, Michael Paz, Richard Flynn on dobro and guitar, Laura Jenkins who just reunited with guitar after five years away, and Robin and I played from our Joni repertoire plus some of our fave singalong soul music. The Far Bar worked out great; and did I mention that it is a mere two blocks walk from our hotel. Right on, Kakki! Late night #1. Day 2 Concert day Most of us slept in late but started to convene for food mid morning and get our bearings. L.A is vast and confusing, and everything pretty much requires a car so rides needed to be arranged. Robin and I took a 2 1/2 hr walk down through the fashion district (which was basically Tijuana North.) But it seemed like 3pm rolled around quickly, the time we had set to get ourselves over to the Camrose picnic area next to the Hollywood Bowl. Julius Mills gets the kudos for not only getting our show tickets bought as a block so we could all sit together like blondes in the bleachers but also for reserving the picnic ground for our group, which allowed us the place to ourselves for a mere $60 booking fee. The idea was to have our pre-show picnic while our band Mutts of the Planet (getting redubbed Planet of the Mutts up in Idyllwild!) did a pre-show set. All our band members were there save Jeff our drummer who had a recording session all afternoon. The catch was there is no power, and in fact amplification is not allowed, but undeterred we attempted this feat with two battery powered speakers. Having never played on battery power before I wasnt sure what to expect, but sure enough one of the speakers was overwhelmed and decided to cut out pretty continuously making us sound like a cell phone conversation with iffy reception. Needless to say this is distracting to listen to and even more so to try and play through. But we soldiered on till the battery gave up the last of its juice and managed to cover a dozen tunes including what I hope was a world first - Down to You, live in a picnic area with city traffic whirring by! Fortunately JMDLers have a special interpolation algorithm in their brains which fills in the gaps when amps cut out or when instruments and lyrics drop out! I send thanks to our band members for playing this free set and risking their instruments left in the car afterwards. So its time to take our seats. The Hollywood Bowl is very civilized in allowing coolers with food and drinks as well as cameras so we each had our refreshments. Julius had booked us section F2 which was to the right of the stage and a nice distance from it. The Bowl is like an oval dinner plate tipped up at an angle to face the stage with its wonderful proscenium arch. The surrounding Hollywood Hills are beautiful and once it is dark, crickets in the foliage around the Bowl chirp so you are in the center of a surround sound Night Ride Home intro. The lights went down and it was just us up there... Herbie Hancock walks on stage, takes the mic and explains how this show is to honor the work of one of the great composers of our time and in particular the work of her 74-79 period. Five vocalists were to be featured backed by a stellar band put together by drummer Brian Blade. Many Joni alumni were in it. Tom Scott and Mark Isham formed the horn section, Brian on drums (and acoustic guitar on one tune,) Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Greg Leisz on pedal steel and guitar, names and faces familiar from the Painting with Words and Music DVD and earlier bands. The rest of the band were not familiar names to me but huge credit must go to keyboardist/arranger/transcriber/music director Jon Cowherd, who pulled all this music together. In a way, his job was akin to mine in our Mutts band so, I felt I knew how much work he had put in to make this show happen....a lot. Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter were actually featured guests rather than members of the band and surprisingly they only played on a handful of tunes. Both are icons of American jazz as well as key sidemen from Jonis albums of course. Wayne, as he gets older, seems to play fewer and fewer notes, so his soprano sax contributes dashes of color like Jackson Pollock brush flicks, and Brian Blade does the same on the drums, as does Mark Isham and Greg Leisz on steel guitar. Jonis description of bass players she worked with before Jaco being like picket fences makes a lot of sense. She realized that the musicians who fit her music had to paint with inspired swaths of color in an emotive and intuitive way instead of the layering method used to make most records in the pop/rock field. Herbie is the finest example of all; he contributes his advanced harmonic language and rhythmic counterpoint to the music we all know so well. He really is a brilliant musician; I wish he had played more, but this show was not really about players. It was about the songs, the lyrics, and the singers who connect with them. They were... Cassandra Wilson, a crossover jazz vocalist from Mississippi with a deep dark voice full of emotion. She has recorded and sung Joni songs for years and was a natural fit. She, and all the singers, began by saying how much they loved Jonis music, and what an honor it was to be on the stage with such a band. It was no idle flattery; they really are some of the finest musicians in the business. Kurt Elling, a well loved Grammy winning jazz song stylist from Chicago who has superb control of phrasing, pitch and dynamics. Not an obvious choice Elling brought a deep jazz knowledge to the vocal spotlight. As he stood wearing a suit jacket, one inevitably thought of his forbears Sinatra and Bennett, but Elling is possibly a more advanced craftsman than either, I believe, and turned in some brilliant performances this night. Dry Cleaner from Des Moines could have been written for him as he nailed the angular melody line, and his readings of Edith, Harrys House and Black crow were great. But The Jungle Line topped them all and his ironic tone and bona fide jazz background really fit. As with the Mutts version of this tune the trumpet played a big part and Kurt scatted syllables at the end...Hmmm...I had sent our version with just that arrangement to Brian Blade in an email to try and get us, or Robin, on that stage, with no response. I cant help but wonder if we planted a seed there. Chaka Khan, who needs no introduction, was her usual beaming toothy smile, weeping-willow hair (a wig I assume), bright diva outfits and high heels. An old friend of Jonis, and a backup singer on her albums from the 70s period being honored this night, as well as a huge fan in her own right, she was an obvious choice. I love Chaka and think there is no one funkier. But I dont always think she is singing from the heart; sometimes I think she sings the words in the Chaka Khan style but without really bringing them to life. Its exciting for sure, but Jonis songs are poetry and it takes more to connect with them than most singers are capable of. However she did sing Hejira, Two Grey Rooms and Sweet Bird with tremendous depth of feeling. And she is pretty darned cute in her stoned dingy way! Glen Hansard, the Academy Award winning Irish balladeer of The Commitments and Once fame, seemed to me initially like a puzzling choice for a jazz themed night...until he sang. As I and others will relate, he owned this music more than any other singer on that stage and was the biggest star of the show, although he was only given three songs to do (Otis and Marlena, a fourth, got cut as the music has to end at 11pm sharp at the Bowl and they were running late.) His Coyote was fabulous, his Boho Dance was as if he was telling his own story, being a former street musician himself. But it was the finale piece Shadows and Light that made the heart well up and proved him to be one of the most passionate singers in todays music scene. Hansard managed to find Celtic roots in the hymn like melody of S&L and connect with it on a deep level. No lyric sheets for this man (or Kurt for that matter.) He had this music in his soul and it was obvious. Jon Cowherd played a harmonium (pump organ) as the accompaniment, the antithesis of the cheesy ARP string synth we heard on the Hissing album. It sounds ancient, elemental, organic - everything the lyric and melody demand. Sheer genius to arrange it like that. Glen should have been over the moon with his own performance. We certainly were. And then there was Aimee Mann. Ive been urged to watch what I say about her, but she was the only negative in an otherwise almost perfect show. I posted on Facebook after reading 5 weeks ago that she was just starting to learn her songs for this show, that I envisioned her with lyric sheets giving nervous looks at the band. And guess what? She walks on with her lyric sheet, looking uncomfortable and opens the show with a version of Court and Spark that was lifeless, flat and monotonous. A few songs later she tries Free Man in Paris, playing guitar and singing, and she stopped the band eight bars in and had them restart it. Im sorry if any Mann fans are reading this but she was quite out of her depth. Les Irvin says she may have been picked because Joni herself has said in an interview that she liked Mann as a songwriter. As a song interpreter, however, she was a bad choice, having no emotional contact with these lyrics, and her lack of preparation was an affront to those of us for whom this music is sacred. To be fair, most people would be nervous at playing with such giants, but this evening was supposed to be the creme de la creme and all the other singers pulled it off beautifully. Sorry Aimee, Im sure you have other talents, but a list of better singers for the tunes you were given to sing springs easily to mind: Norah Jones, Shawn Colvin, and er, Robin Adler. Here was the running order, with Youtube links. I'll post a link to photos soon. The Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, California Wednesday, 17 August, 2011 http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-0819-jonis-jazz-pictures ,0,1982598.photogallery Court And Spark ...... Aimee Mann Coyote ...... Glen Hansard http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bQrtL7ABv4 Strange Boy ...... Chaka Khan Hejira ...... Cassandra Wilson Black Crow ...... Kurt Elling Help Me ...... Cassandra Wilson Blue Motel Room ...... Cassandra Wilson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pcoJHo7guU The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines ...... Kurt Elling Free Man In Paris ...... Aimee Mann Peoples Parties ...... Chaka Khan Two Grey Rooms ...... Chaka Khan intermission In France They Kiss On Main Street ...... Cassandra Wilson The Jungle Line ...... Kurt Elling Edith And The Kingpin ...... Kurt Elling Dont Interrupt The Sorrow ...... Chaka Khan Shades Of Scarlett Conquering ...... Aimee Mann Hissing On Summer Lawns ...... Aimee Mann The Boho Dance ...... Glen Hansard http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt1t28TKUVQ&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL Harrys House/Centerpiece ...... Kurt Elling Sweet Bird ...... Chaka Khan Shadows And Light ...... Glen Hansard http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_jKC6rnKxk&feature=related The concert was really a masterpiece and the Youtubes Ive watched shot from cell phones confirm what we all felt; that this was some of the greatest music of the last 50 years being played lovingly and with soul. The arrangements were strikingly faithful to the record, which I liked, but were adapted for the lineup at a hand. No background vocals, steel guitar in place of strings etc. It was rather surprising that a show called Jonis Jazz had only one song from Mingus and none from DJRD (though Otis and Marlena had been originally on the setlist), and several were included that were not very jazzy at all (Peoples Parties, Help Me, etc) but there was a nice blend of favorite tunes with lesser known ones. Im glad Tom Scott was included from the old guard and he sounded great. Larry Carlton would have been a fantastic guest as would Jaco, but then that starts to be a little impractical, Jaco being deceased and all. After the show we sped back to the Kyoto and piled into Paz penthouse suite for snacks, drinks and jamming till 2.30am. Out came Richards dobro, Les mandolin and the usual bevy of acoustic guitars being wrangled into one Martian tuning or another. Much great harmony was sung too on non-Joni tunes from the Beatles to Smokey Robinson. Day 3 Pilgrimage Day Day three was to end up at Lesli and Petes stunning home in Topanga Canyon overlooking the Pacific. Pete is a drummer and recording engineer so he had set up nice mics and his drums, and they had had their baby grand tuned. Topanga is perhaps the last hippie haven left in L.A and the real estate prices must preclude any newcomers from arriving. As you drive the winding roads up through the canyon you feel like you are deep in some rural area of the heartland until you pop out at a high elevation and see Santa Monica in the distance on one side and the San Fernando Valley on the other. We brought food and a team of volunteers toiled to prepare a fantastic dinner. The light for photos was perfect, the music played in every part of the house while Goldie the dog roamed about from guest to guest. But, prior to that a couple of us with cars had a little Joni sidetrip planned. This time it was to visit another famous canyon in L.A, and the one most associated with rock music, and Joni in particular: Laurel Canyon. We went in search of Our House, the one with Joni leaning out the bay window in the famous Henry Diltz photo and the one in which she and Graham Nash argued over who was to get to use the piano, the one where Ladies of the Canyon and probably Clouds was written (not sure of my facts on that one.) Well, we found it. Its now a rental, still owned by Joni, and has been vacant for four months. Its a green wooden house nestled among eucalyptus trees with bamboo growing in front, with wood floors and a very rustic charm. The house next door had been the one rented by Canned Heat in those days and they had caused it to burn down while high on Secanol. Its a wonder Jonis house didnt burn too as they are so close. We headed down the hill to the Laurel Canyon store, vividly described in every book on the rock and roll history of the area. There was Jim Morrisons house, Mama Cass place and a peace & love hippie vibe still hanging over the store, which still carries unusual items for the various English rock stars who had to have their Branston pickle or their Frank Coopers marmalade on hand. Mick Jagger allegedly had his cocaine delivered to the store for pickup at one time. This would have been one of those places to be a fly on the wall. The area reeks of those years - not modernized in the least it is easy to drift back 40 years and visualize Don Henley or Jackson Browne driving their Porsches up the hill to someones house to work on a new song with a guitar poking up behind the seat and a roach in hand. Great stuff! Day 4 A farewell BBQ and a lucky break By now the need for sleep was becoming inescapable, but we had a final day of fun and sun to endure. Several people had had to head home already, so Bob, Lindsay and others were not with us anymore but we had one more extravaganza to go. Coyote Rick and his partner Brad invited us all to their staggeringly beautiful Hollywood Hills home. Brad had personally set every tile in their Spanish style hacienda including the mosaic in the swimming pool and they had room after room of gorgeous collectibles, including a jacket of Jonis from 1977. Joni is a personal friend of Rick and Brads and has been to dinner at their place before. As a spot for a Joni gathering it could not have been more perfect. They were gracious hosts and let us play music, use the pool, and wander the house freely to admire their lovely place. Chris Coccaro (ckarma) somehow made it late, after a full day of shooting commercials in L.A (he works for a NYC advertising company) and sat at the piano to give us the grand finale, a rendering of Paprika Plains from top to toe, surely a JoniFest first. We said our sad farewells and realized that the bonds of friendship that have formed among us are very genuine. Internet connections we may be, but Joni Mitchell is one very strong common shared interest, and she attracts very urbane and generous people... love all round. There was one more coup. Robin and I have been trying for over a year to get a copy of Safaris to the Heart to Joni via her management, with no luck. By a stroke of good fortune we were able to hand a copy to Jonis housekeeper who said she would put it on the kitchen counter for her. Hope she gives it a spin... ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V2011 #243 ***************************** ------- To post messages to the list, send to joni@smoe.org. Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe -------